


Of Maids and Mackerel

by Bunny_Chan_San



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Main ship is Makoharu, Mentions of Prostitution, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Persona 5 AUish, Rating May Change, Tokyo AU, maid au, side ships if you squint are SouRin and Reigisa, things heat up but nothing happens in regards to the prostitution thing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2018-12-14 17:49:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11788278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunny_Chan_San/pseuds/Bunny_Chan_San
Summary: Life as a second year college student isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Maybe it might have been a little more fun if Makoto actually took the time to make more meaningful connections and socialize outside of the typical study groups he attended. It just seemed that studying and his part time job at the coffee shop ate up most of his availability. Lacking in time and the necessary skills to cook and clean up after himself, Makoto takes some advice from a friend and hires a maid to assist him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CelestiaLovelace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelestiaLovelace/gifts).



> I’ve had this idea in the back of my mind ever since Persona 5 came out and found out you could romance Sadayo Kawakami (The teacher/maid). So basically is my version of Maid/College/Tokyo AU! This is written for my wonderful, beautiful, and supporting friend CelestiaLoveLace! Thank you for your constant encouragement. This story wouldn't be possible without you, and of course, my beta, Right___Meow (who actually came up with the title of this fic because I'm bad at that kind of stuff). I hope you enjoy the ride!

Important places, people, and things to keep in mind:

 **1.[Benzaiten Shinto Shrine](https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/6-temples-and-shrines-to-visit-in-tokyo/) ** – “Nestled among the lush greenery and landscaped water features of Inokashira Park lies the Benzaiten Shrine, a small red Shinto shrine devoted to the goddess of the same name. She is the deity of everything that flows – including knowledge, water and music. Benzaiten is recognized in both the Buddhist and Shinto faith, and was adapted from the Hindu goddess known as Saraswati.

 **2\. Rei attends[Osaka University](http://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/osaka-university)** , about 5-6 hours away from Tokyo. Osaka University ranks as high as 43rd in the world. It's particularly strong for law, sciences, technology and medicine.

3.  **Nagisa attends[Waseda University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waseda_University%20) in Shinjuku, ** about 30 minutes away from Makoto’s apartment by train. He is enrolled in their school of Creative Science and Engineering

4.  **Makoto attends the[School of Childhood Sport Education at Nippon Sport Science University at the Setagaya Campus](http://www.nittai.ac.jp/eng/academic_programs/children/childhood_sport/index.html), ** “This course educates students to become specialists with the knowledge and skills to help children build their bodies and enjoy sports, and provide support for healthy lifestyles at local playgrounds, children's activity centers, after-school care programs, sports clubs, boys' and girls' sports clubs, integrated local sports clubs, and the like.”

5.  **[Makoto’s Apartment](https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18779362?guests=1&location=Setagaya%2C%20Japan&check_in=2017-09-04&check_out=2017-09-05&s=aunv98DQ%20%20%20%20) – ** Is a 2-bedroom apartment with a kitchenette, washer, spacious bathtub, and is a 5-minute train ride to Shibuya, and 15 minutes from his university.

 **6\. Makoto works at[Café LeBlanc](http://megamitensei.wikia.com/wiki/Cafe_Leblanc)**  near Sangen-Jaya Station. It’s about 13 minutes from his apartment by train and an additional 10-minute walk from the station. The Café is a 7-minute train ride to his university.

 **7.[Kazunari Takao](http://kurokonobasuke.wikia.com/wiki/Kazunari_Takao) – ** Makoto’s classmate. He attends the same school but in the Department of Physical Education, “this course focuses primarily on providing students with the qualifications they require to work as elite athletes, coaching staff, or athletic trainers.” Takao loves basketball and hopes to become an athletic trainer for Olympic champions.

 

*****

 

Life as a second year college student isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Maybe it might have been a little more fun if Makoto actually took the time to make more meaningful connections and socialize outside of the typical study groups he attended. It just seemed that studying and his part time job at the coffee shop ate up most of his availability.

“Join us! We’re going out to celebrate the end of midterms! Live a little, Tachibana!” Takao laughs, adding with a hearty slap to the back.

“Gwah!” Makoto coughs as his glasses slide forward on his nose. He pushes them up with his index finger and chuckles, “I would love to. But honestly, I’m exhausted!” He yawns with his left hand covering his mouth, his right reaching for the heavens.

“I know what you mean, that anatomy test just about killed me!” Takao exclaims, slumping over. “I stayed up until 4 a.m. studying, and then had to be up by 7 to catch the train! I miss when I could just ride my bike to school…” He reminisces with a far off look in his slate blue eyes, straightening before continuing, “But hey, if you’re gonna stay in, at least get some real food in your stomach. All these sweets are good, but they’re gonna do a number on you eventually,” he points at the discarded chocolate muffin wrappers sitting on their study room table.

Makoto scratches his chin and laughs sheepishly, “You’re right. I don’t remember the last time I had a meal that wasn’t either a protein bar or instant ramen! Ha ha ha…”

Takao shakes his head and smiles. He stands up and mimics Makoto’s drawn out stretch before starting to gather up all his materials and shoves them in his backpack. “Alright man, well rest up and I’ll see you next Monday. You better be energized! Shin-Chan’s coming into town to visit and I want us to have another friendly basketball match! You’ll come, yes?”

 “I start my shifts back at the shop on Monday. 3 to close,” Makoto sighs dejectedly, laying his face on the desk surface.

“Rotten luck! We need to go get you a charm from Benzaiten Shrine. I’m sure it’ll help with the rest of the school year and maybe finding you someone to cuddle at night. Well anyways, see you Monday for class!” He skips away, clearly happy with the fact that he most likely aced his midterms and to top it off, gets to see his boyfriend next week.

Makoto groans and lays on the table a little longer before finally standing and collecting his possessions into his own backpack, and then tossing his trash into the receptacle. Once he ensures nothing was left behind, he leaves the [student lounge](http://imgur.com/x81fZVJ) and heads out to catch the next train back “home.”

Home, for lack of a better word, is a small two-bedroom apartment with a kitchenette (that he never used, except to burn vegetables and the occasional protein during his first year of college, when he was vastly optimistic about learning to cook and feed himself) and an upstairs 2nd bedroom (that stored all his possessions that he brought with him to Tokyo, thinking he would need, but in all honesty, has never even had a chance to unpack). The redeeming quality of the tiny place was an unexpectantly large bathtub. On days when his back was sore from hunching over his laptop, or his feet were throbbing from a double shift at the coffee shop, he would soak in the tub until the water turned cold. His mother, ever so worried after several video calls and seeing her son in pain, mailed him a package of Epsom salt with a lovely handwritten note, expressing her wish to have him take care of himself more. The first night he tried it out, he vowed not to run out of the substance, and even went out to the store to buy a small aromatherapy diffuser to combine the soothing effects. The next day he texted his mom a “relieved” emoji and thanks her for the gift.

As he heads back to the train station, his thoughts stray to Takao’s last statement about finding someone to hold at night. He laments that no one will be waiting for him when he arrives home: no cute girl or boy with dinner already set on the table. He had always wanted to at least adopt a cat to keep him company, but his apartment complex doesn’t allow animals.

Truly, he envied Takao and his openness to his own sexuality. Although Takao and Midorima (“Shin-chan”) don’t live together because of their choices in college, they clearly didn’t hide their relationship. The first time Makoto met up with Takao for one of his “friendly basketball tournaments” he was caught off guard with Takao’s willingness to treat Midorima affectionately (his hand covering Midorima’s bandaged fingers, soft looks off court, a chaste kiss after they said their good-bye’s).

When Makoto met with Takao the next time during their scheduled study session, Makoto didn’t know what to say. Not because he was disapproving, or because of ill-feelings, but because he admired his courage. After 15 minutes of Makoto fidgeting in his seat while “studying,” Takao sighed dramatically and slammed his open book down and said “YES. I AM GAY.”

Makoto blinked rapidly and pinked. “I am quite aware you are gay. I just… I just didn’t know how…” He ran his fingers through his hair, searching for the words. “How to ask you HOW you do it!” He emphasized, admirably.

It was Takao’s turn to be surprised. “Tachibana. You’re 19. Didn’t your mom and dad tell you how babies are made?”

Makoto’s pink shade turned into a bright red as he flounders to express himself more accurately. “I know how babies are made!! What I mean to say is, how do you do it? How do you go about being so confident? How can you just… just be so open! Because I can’t…” His voice dies into a whisper, his confession too late to take back.

Understanding breaks across Takao’s face and he takes in Makoto’s embarrassment—his large body trying hard to make himself seem smaller by hunching into himself. “Oh, Makoto… I just assumed… Well. I guess I can do it because Shin-Chan doesn’t give a fuck. And if he doesn’t, then I don’t either.”

Makoto smiles sadly. “That sounds… really nice actually,” he says honestly.

Takao grins brightly. “It is. Don’t worry, Tachibana. Your knight in shining armor will come. And when he does, you’ll realize you don’t give a fuck either.”

Makoto laughs and hiccups at the same time, genuine tears of relief leaking from the corners of his eyes.

They settle down into a comfortable silence and continue studying until Takao throws his book across the room and says he needs a break.

 

*****

 

The moment Makoto got home he barely had enough energy to throw his school bag on the floor, rip off his pants and shirt (opting for comfort, he stayed in his boxers and undershirt), and eat the take out he picked up after exiting the train, before crashing onto his futon where he slept for the next 13 hours straight. When he woke, he silently thanked the Gods that he had the forethought to request this weekend off so that he could recuperate from his midterms. It was still relatively early (9 a.m.) when he realized this was his first weekend off since his small break back in December. The sun shone brightly through the light green curtain in his bedroom window as he watched the dust motes drift through the rays and listened to the noises of the city outside. This was definitely a harsh contrast to when he used to wake up to the smell of breakfast wafting up from downstairs, his twin siblings busting into his room (Good morning Nii-chan! Mom made waffles!), his mom’s voice echoing from below.

He could go back to sleep... that actually sounded like a really good idea. So he settled back down and got comfortable. That was until his bladder demanded he use the restroom. He moaned and groaned, and kicked his legs childishly before finally getting up to relieve himself.

Once the deed was done, Makoto decided he should just stay awake and try to be productive. He compromised with himself that he would have another early night. He washed his hands, mentally noting that he needed more soap, and more than likely, Epsom salt. Maybe a bath would be nice on this day off… But before that, he wanted to eat breakfast.

He shuffled his way to the kitchenette (which was a short distance, seeing how as soon as you opened the bathroom door, the sink stood right there) and opened his mini fridge. It was empty (no big surprise there), save for some half eaten take out containers from Wednesday's dinner. He closed the door sadly and hopefully opened his tiny cabinet. Three protein bars and a chocolate muffin left. He pulled out the chocolate muffin, tore it open and left the wrapper between the sink and the hotplate, as he began to nibble on it while looking through the pantry above his washing machine. Apart from the [spice kit](http://imgur.com/bCz9TrK) that his mom sent him to school with (the little handwritten note saying "Spice up your life!" still taped to the lazy susan) the only items left in the cabinet were half a bag of rice, a box of broth cubes, and a full bottle of soy sauce. While Makoto could technically make a meal of out this, he was more inclined to just go for more take out. He wondered if any of his friends or acquaintances that had always been asking him to go out were available.

He moved to the small table in his living area and searched through his phone contacts. First option was Nagisa; even though the energetic pink-eyed blond was also living in Tokyo, though they hardly had time to see each other, as both were doing their own things. Not to mention that Nagisa lived right outside of Shinjuku ward, closer to his own school.

9:14 a.m. To Nagisa: Good morning Nagisa! ヽ(´▽｀)ノ Are you busy today? I finally have a free moment. Breakfast?

9:16 a.m. NEW MESSAGE From Nagisa: MAKO-CHAN!!!! o(╥﹏╥)o I wish I could! I had promised Rei-Chan that I would visit him this weekend. I’ve actually been on the train since 5 a.m. Can you imagine me getting up early on Saturday?????? Ahhh, I suppose only for my Rei-Chan!! (✿ ♥‿♥) Maybe next weekend we can hang!!!!!!

Makoto read the text, crestfallen, but at the same time with warmth in his heart. He knows how clingy Nagisa is, so he must be feeling very lonely during his first year of university with Rei being in Osaka.

9:21 a.m. To Nagisa: Yes, next weekend! Let’s do something for sure! Enjoy your time with Rei. Tell him I say hello!!

Makoto smiles as he hits send. He pauses for a minute before choosing Takao’s name in his contacts, then decides to leave his friend alone. If he really went out last night, then he’ll most likely be sleeping in (and sleeping off whatever it is he had to celebrate). He scrolls again through his list, all of the names becoming a blur as he tries to put faces to the names he has programmed. His lips purse as he strains to find someone—anyone—that would be available, that he thinks would be a good breakfast date. Contacts back from his first year of school fly by, from a time when they all had such good intentions of staying in touch. His heart sinks when he sees the – END OF LIST – message.

He stares at his phone for a long minute before his phone buzzes and scares him into almost dropping it.

9:35 a.m. NEW MESSAGE From Nagisa: Mako-Chan, you better not be sulking!!!!!!! o(≧o≦)o  I PROMISE we can catch up next weekend. Don’t sit at home in your underwear eating chocolate muffins all day! Go spice up your life!!!!! ＼(≧∇≦)/

Makoto baulks at the accuracy of Nagisa’s message and then nervously looks behind him, then left and right. His eyes shift back and forth, scanning the area. Did Nagisa set up a hidden camera the last time he visited his apartment? After the shock of reading the text settles, Makoto rereads the message and laughs at Nagisa’s jab at his mom’s love for handwritten notes. The “Spice up your life!” quote has been a running joke between them since the start of Makoto’s first term.

9:38 a.m. To Nagisa: I’m not sulking!!!!!!!!!!

9:39 a.m. NEW MESSAGE From Nagisa: I can hear it in your tone!!!!!!!

9:40 a.m. To Nagisa: How can you hear my tone from a text message??!

9:41 a.m. NEW MESSAGE From Nagisa: You and Rei-chan are so predictable Mako-chan!!!!

9:41 a.m. NEW MESSAGE From Nagisa: Just promise me you won’t sleep the day away, okay?

Makoto softens and grins. Nagisa was the best friend a friend could ask for (when he wanted to be).

9:43 a.m. To Nagisa: I promise. Thanks Nagisa.  

Makoto shuts his phone and sighs. Well, now that he has a promise to keep, he feels obligated to uphold it. He stands up from the desk and takes a proper look around his apartment again, checking for invisible cameras. While regarding the room, he takes in the state of unkempt. His textbooks are littered around and under his desk, and those that aren’t are in his book bag that’s still by the door, next to his pile of shoes. Wrappers from various snacks sit on surface areas. He knows without entering back into his bathroom that the tub needs to be washed. His bedsheets need to be changed, and the futon aired out. What little of the floor that could be seen needs to be mopped, and the windows need to be cleaned. Makoto deflates and whines. He really misses his mom about now. As much as he loves her, he harbors a small grudge against her for not properly teaching him the common cleaning and cooking skills he needs to succeed in a life away from his doting parents.

It’s at that moment that his stomach rumbles. Loudly. That chocolate muffin was undeniably insufficient, especially after a week of sodium-filled noodles and protein bars. He’s back to square one, with no breakfast date. He reasons that he could just go by himself, but he doesn’t think he would be able to handle the stigma of eating alone. After an internal debate—but largely in part because of his protesting stomach--Makoto decides to shower, dress, and leave the house to grab a bite to eat.

It’s a beautiful day in May, and Makoto actually feels better the moment when he leaves his apartment. Maybe it’s the idea that he’s finally decided on a course of action, even if he doesn’t know where it will take him. He really has been meaning to walk Cat Street in Shibuya, so he heads out to the Sangenchaya station and takes a 5-minute train ride to his destination. Upon his arrival, he remembers passing by a restaurant that caught his interest the last time he came with Takao, called [A Happy Pancake](http://magia.tokyo/menu). He immediately makes a beeline for the business, but is stopped abruptly by someone tapping his shoulder lightly.

He whips around and is suddenly face to face with teal eyes and dark hair. The man is wearing steel grey jeans, black Vans, and a black long sleeve shirt which has been rolled up to his elbows. 

“Yo,” [Tall and dark](http://imgur.com/68kznqy) says, by way of greeting.

“Sousuke?!” Makoto beams incredulously, not at all hiding his toothy smile.

“Heh, yeah. Where you off to? Looks like a fire was lit under your ass,” Sousuke teases.

“I’m actually on my way to get breakfast! I’m starving,” Makoto chuckles. “I could use a friendly face to accompany me. Wanna join?”

“Sure, I was actually on my way to check out that [Tonkatsu place](https://restaurant.ikyu.com/103591/?ikgo=1) up the road, but it doesn’t open till 11. What you got in mind?”

“I was gonna hit up The Happy Pancake…” Makoto confesses slowly, a pink tint dusting his cheeks.

“That dessert pancake place? Makoto, you don’t ever change, do you,” he places his hand on Makoto’s shoulder. “It’s been what, 2 years? Since I last saw you. You’re still eating sweets for breakfast?”

Makoto shakes Sousuke’s hand off his shoulder, turns his head and sticks up his nose in mock irritation. “It’s been what, 2 years? Since we last spoke and you’re still an asshole?”

At that, Sousuke outright laughs. “You’re the one inviting an asshole to breakfast. C’mon. Let’s get that 'happy' pancake.”

*****

“No way, you’re at Nippon Sport Science University too? Why don’t I have any classes with you? Why haven’t we seen each other for a year and a half?” Sousuke asks bewildered, then shovels a bite of [omelet](http://imgur.com/YIVuRYv) into his mouth.

“I’m taking classes at the Setagaya campus, I’m assuming we have bad luck in scheduling or you go to the Kenshidai campus,” Makoto theorizes. He cuts his fluffy [chocolate covered pancake](http://imgur.com/qDzcTVQ) with his fork and moans when it comes into contact with his taste buds, his face blissful. 

Sousuke swallows thickly before answering, “Yeah, I’m at Kenshidai. You know, this isn’t so bad, Tachibana.” He points to his plate, and then tears into his pancakes.  “What classes you taking?”

“Anatomy, Sports Coaching for Children, and Physical Education for Infants. What about you?”

“Sports Medicine, Introduction to Social Work, and Practical Counseling and Support I.”

“Yikes. No wonder we haven’t had any classes together.”

“Well, I do have to take anatomy, but not until next semester,” Sousuke comments. “Hey, maybe you can give me all your notes when your class is over.”

“Sure! Hey, I need to get your phone number! We should do this more often. Plus, I obviously can’t wait for fate to determine when we will meet again. You’d never get those notes.”

They exchange numbers and finish their food relatively quickly.

“Ahhhh,” Sousuke pats his full stomach after he sets down his fork. “That was actually pretty good. Thanks, Makoto.”

“And you were making fun of me for having dessert for breakfast. Who’s laughing now?”

“Watch it, I’ll take it back just to annoy you.”

Makoto rolls his eyes. “What are you doing after this?” he asks offhandedly.

Sousuke blushes, his eyes shifting. “I, uh… I have a date.”

Makoto whistles and raises his eyebrows.  

“I was actually in Shibuya to look for a gift… and check out that tonkatsu restaurant I was telling you about. I was planning on taking him there for dinner.”

Makoto hears what Sousuke has said but the only word he latches onto is “him.” There a pregnant pause and Sousuke shifts in his seat uncomfortably.

“Who’s this guy? I have to warn him that he’s dating an asshole in disguise,” Makoto jokes and Sousuke visibly relaxes.

“He’s uh… I met him… ehhh…” Sousuke fiddles with the hem of his napkin.

“Sousuke, it’s okay. You don’t need to explain yourself to me,” Makoto smiles softly across the table at his friend.

Sousuke sighs noisily and runs both of his hands through his hair. “C’mon. Let’s get outta here and I’ll tell you.”

Makoto pays for the bill and they exit the building. “Any particular place you had in mind?”

“I don’t care,” Sousuke puts his hands in his pockets and lets Makoto take the lead to a small [park bench](http://imgur.com/PTDXbFn) a couple buildings down that is relatively deserted. 

Makoto sits with his body facing Sousuke, while the latter slouches, looking at his feet.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Makoto says gently after some time passes. Makoto looks up and watches the clouds hide the sun intermittently as they pass slowly across the sky.

“I…” Sousuke begins and then shakes his head. He’s quiet for another minute and then blurts out, “I called a maid service to clean my apartment while I was studying last semester. You know how it is. First time on your own. I didn’t have time do so many things. I was going crazy trying to finish my homework, keep up with my physical therapy, eat healthy, go to my part-time, and not get lost around Tokyo, but God knows how many times that has happened already…”

Makoto nods his head furiously in acknowledgement, urging him to continue. He knows exactly the feelings Sousuke's describing. Hell, hadn’t he just experienced something very similar this morning?

“I just didn’t have the energy to do my own laundry or clean my bathroom! So I thought, fuck it. Let’s try this maid service thing that I had just gotten a flyer for that previous week. And sure enough, there he is. At my doorstep. In this frilly black maid costume. And I knew that I had to ask him out. It was so embarrassing. I didn’t even tell him hello, or welcome, I just said, ‘Will you go out with me?’ And he looked me up and down and said, ‘I’ll tell you my answer after I clean your apartment.’ When he finished I paid him, and he opened the door to leave. I was about to ask him again when he cut me off saying, ‘You free tomorrow? It’s my only day off this week.’” Sousuke smiled so genuinely that he almost blinds Makoto.

Makoto absorbs everything Sousuke has said and finally laughs, “Wow. I’m gonna need that hotline number. My tub needs a good scrubbing.”

Sousuke punches his arm a little too hard to be joking and Makoto whines while rubbing the affected area, “Owww, I’m only kidding. In all seriousness, that sounds amazing, Sou. I’m happy for you.”

“Right? I'm happy too,” Sousuke sighs again, dreamily. “Our schedules are always so inconsistent that we don’t have a lot of time for dates. But today is a good day.” He stands up and breathes in deeply.

Makoto looks up at his friend while still sitting himself, and admires Sousuke’s new refreshing posture. He stands up too, and they both start heading back the way they came.

“Hey, what are _you_ doing for the rest of the day?” Sousuke finally questions.

“Ehhhhh… Probably go home… scrub that tub, you know,” he laughs but it ends up sounding fake. “I really do have a lot of work cut out for me. I start work again this Monday so I have to do what I can with my time off.”

“That’s too bad,” Sousuke remarks. “Well, here’s my stop. Let’s not wait another 2 years before we have sugar for breakfast again.”

“Oh ha ha. You liked it. Stop lying to yourself.”

Sousuke waves goodbye as Makoto turns to leave back to the train station.

 

*****

 

12:10 p.m. NEW MESSAGE From Sousuke: Rub a dub dub, let someone else scrub your tub. 555-843-9987

Makoto stares at the number for an indeterminate timeframe, then with all his willpower, closes his phone. The moment he opens his apartment door and physically sees the state that it is in, Makoto opens his phone again and hits the call button, all of his resolve thrown out his dirty window.

 

***** END CHAPTER 1 *****


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto makes the call, Haru makes an appearance, and all hell breaks loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, this story is dedicated to CelestiaLovelace, mi bella amiga!! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Special thanks to Right___Meow for her superb beta-ing talents. What would I do without you???

“Maids and More: DH, we clean, you pay. Sasabe speaking.” The bored man’s voice reaches Makoto through the speaker on his cell phone, and for a moment, Makoto wants to hang up without saying anything. What type of a slogan was that? It wasn’t very catching, but at least it was accurate?

“Hello? Anyone there?” The man, Sasabe, asks after he receives no response.

“Uhhhhh yeah, hello? I uh, wanted to, uh, order a maid?” It’s a question not a statement.

“Of course you did, why else would you call? Date of booking?”

“Ummm, today? If possible?” Makoto thinks out loud.

“That depends on your preference. Male or female maid?”

Makoto halts. He should have expected this. Sousuke said he received a male maid.

“Uhhhhhhh… m-male,” Makoto finally stutters out.

“Maid or butler’s outfit?”

Makoto blushes into his left hand and says “Maid… please.”

“Service package requesting?”

“Wow, uh, I don’t know? What kinds do you offer?”

“Basic, Standard, Deluxe, and… THE WORKS,” he whispers the last option, but with emphasis.

“I have a lot of… things… that need to be, uh, cleaned…” Makoto gets out, still embarrassed that he’s actually going through with this.

“OH HO HO, looks like you’ll be needing THE WORKS,” Sasabe says jovially, his tone changing. Makoto can almost see the wink in his eye.

“How much is the… THE WORKS?” Makoto dares to ask.

“¥32,000 give or take. The maid will determine the price, upon review of the services completed.”

Makoto baulks. “¥32,000?! Do the maids do anything… o-other than clean?!” Makoto, again, stammers. It would be great if this maid could cook, and help him unpack all that stuff in the second floor bedroom. At least then he’d be getting his money’s worth.

“I promise you, THE WORKS covers EEEVERYTHING you can dream of.”

If Makoto didn’t have Sousuke as a reference, he would have slammed his phone down and put on some gloves and gotten the job done himself, no matter how terrible the end results would have been. Makoto, exasperated at the whole ordeal, sighs and finally commits. “Fine. Was today going to be okay? Or would tomorrow be better?”

“I can have your maid out to you in the next 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your address.”

Sasabe takes down his address, credit card information, and they hang up. Relief permeates Makoto’s body now that the call was over.

Makoto slumps on his futon and runs his hands down his face, his elbows on his knees. What in the world did he get himself into? He wants to call Sousuke and tell him he had better pay for his services if they didn’t meet his expectations.

He looks up at the clock on his wall. Its 12:25 p.m. and the guy on the phone said the maid would be by in 30 minutes to an hour. What should he do in the meantime? And what should he be doing while the maid is working? Maybe the maid can clean his bathroom first, and then he can take a bath while the maid is doing other things? But then if they go upstairs where the AC doesn’t really reach he could be sweating again shortly afterwards, making his bath useless. Makoto groans and falls back on his futon, his arms falling to each of his sides, spread wide.

He honestly hadn’t thought this through, since he doesn’t have a lot of free time, he doesn’t have anything to keep him occupied now that he does. Eventually Makoto boots up his laptop and decides to download some new music because it really has been a while since he's updated his iPod.

40 minutes into listening to his favorite band's new album, he thinks hears a knock at the door and Makoto freezes. He hits pause and waits. There's another knock and Makoto's heart stops.

It would be rude to just ignore it, but that's exactly what he wants to do right now. Another knock, this time it sounds somewhat impatient. Makoto breathes deeply through his nose and exhales through his mouth. He stands up, straightens his back, and gives his [outfit](http://imgur.com/a/jsKBU) a once over. Deeming it passable, he walks over to the door and hesitates, his hand on the doorknob. Then without a second thought, he swings the door open.

Before him stands an androgynous young man around his age range. His clear blue eyes look up at him through long dark eyelashes, inky strands of his hair framing his unblemished face, one hand poised to knock again. He’s wearing a classic [maid’s dress](http://imgur.com/dWmnQWy), white stockings, and shiny black Mary Janes. Suddenly, Makoto feels like someone punched him in the gut, because he can’t breathe. And despite him having perfect hearing a minute ago, he becomes deaf.

He watches the man’s mouth move but nothing comes out. Makoto’s heart beat amplifies in his chest. His perfect mouth moves again, this time, his face looking disconcerted. Still, nothing is reaching Makoto’s ears. A hand reaches out and gently touches his forearm. As if a spell has been broken, all consciousness comes rushing back to Makoto, and heat spreads from the place the man has touched all the way up to his hair.

“S-sorry, come again?” Makoto apologizes, finally recovering his voice.

“Master, are you alright?” the maid says with unease, eyebrows furrowed.

Makoto is sure he is going to spontaneously combust.

“M-master??”

“Master called for me, did he not?” the gorgeous man queries.

“Oh. Yes. Yes, I did. Please, come in.” Makoto steps out of the way, and he extends a hand in welcome.

The maid walks through the hallway and pauses in front of Makoto’s ladder which is pushed flush against the wall. He looks around curiously and waits for Makoto.

“I’m Tachibana Makoto. It’s good to meet you,” Makoto bows and his guest blinks twice in rapid succession.

“I am Nanase Haruka. Master, please take care of me,” Haruka bows lowly, holding out his dress in a curtsy.

“Haruka… that’s… that’s a beautiful name,” Makoto says breathily as Haruka winces.

“Master, I would prefer you call me Haru… Unless you have another name you’d like to address me by…?”

“No, no, Haru is fine,” Makoto placates, whatever to make this exquisite young man happy.

“So Master, where shall we start?” Haru takes a step closer to Makoto, and Makoto takes a step back.

“Umm… well, I have a lot on my imaginary list… so anywhere is alright.”

Haru takes another step forward and once again, Makoto takes one back, his eyes shifting everywhere but at Haru.

“Master, have you never done this before?” Haru cocks his head slightly, leaning further into Makoto’s personal space.

“Eheheh… is it that apparent? I’m sure you work with many first timers, though?” Makoto sweats nervously.

“Master doesn’t need to be anxious. I will handle everything… If that is what Master wants,” Haru finishes coyly.

“…Actually, now that I think about it, I’m wondering if you would show me? Teach me everything you know, so that next time… next time I could do it myself?” Makoto asks bashfully, his hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck.

Haru’s eyes widen in disbelief before he schools his expression. “Don’t worry, Master. I will teach you whatever your heart desires.” Another step forward, and Makoto’s feet hit the back of his futon when he takes another step back. He falls awkwardly on his behind with an “Oof!” then he looks up at Haru, his face rosy with mortification.

Haru slowly maneuvers himself so that he is straddling Makoto’s lap, his hands finding their way to Makoto’s broad shoulders. He leans in so that their breaths intermingle. Haru smells of minty toothpaste and, is that chlorine?

Makoto is sure every electron in his brain has misfired. Time seems to slow down tremendously. There is a tender brush of lips against his own. Then another. Hands travel from shoulders to jaw and nape, playing with the soft hair there.

A third kiss finally causes an indulgent whimper to escape Makoto, his hands balled into fists slightly behind him. His eyes are fluttering, unsure if he should close them, or keep them open so that he doesn’t miss a second of Haru’s seduction.

“Master, it’s okay to let go.” Haru pulls away slightly then bites his lower lip, his eyes trained on Makoto’s bobbing adam’s apple. He moves in to nuzzle the junction between Makoto’s collarbone and neck. Haru whispers in a low voice into the shell of Makoto’s ear, “It’s okay to…” He smoothly places Makoto’s trembling hands onto his nylon covered thighs, “touch me…”

“Oh God…” Makoto feels himself begin to stiffen in his pants as Haru licks Makoto’s earlobe and lightly nibbles. Makoto shakes like a leaf, his heart in his throat. “Haru, I think… I think we need to stop.”

Haru immediately opens his eyes and pulls away. “Did I do something wrong, Master?”

“No, I MEAN YES!... NO?!” He covers his face with his hands and tries to calm himself, but is unsuccessful, since Haru is still sitting in his lap. “Haru, I… I called because I wanted my apartment cleaned. I don’t want you to force yourself to do this.”

Haruka slides off Makoto’s lap and sits on his knees in front of him. “But Master requested THE WORKS? I thought this is what Master wanted…?”

Makoto peeks through his fingers and looks at Haru, his heart thumps wildly. “Haru, you’re… stunning. I…” he swallows hard and lowers his hands, “I do want you. But not if I have to pay you for it. I would want you here because _you_ want to be here, on your _own_ volition. If you don't want this job any more then that’s fine. I’ll let you keep the fees as if you had performed your services, and I will request another maid at a later point in time to help me clean.”

Haruka sits dumbfounded, his mouth slightly open as he tries to comprehend what Makoto is telling him. “Master… wants me to leave?” He finally chokes out.

“No! No, Haru. I just want to clean my apartment. If you’re will to help show me the ropes, then I would love for you to stay. Please, please say you’ll stay and help me?” Makoto gets off the futon and joins Haru on the floor.

Haru turns his head down and contemplates for a moment, his hands fisting the hem of his dress. He must have reached a conclusion because he silently nods once and lifts his eyes to stare at Makoto.

Makoto, who didn’t realize how tense he was, relaxes and lets out a sigh of relief. “Great. I was going to seriously be up a creek if you said no!” He laughs lightheartedly.

“Master – I…”

“Haru, please, call me Makoto. There is no need for you to call me anything other than my name.”

"…Makoto." Haru tests out the name. 

"Yes!" Makoto smiles and nods in affirmation. 

"Makoto," Haruka looks at his surroundings, "We have a lot of work to do." 

Makoto slumps. "Yes we do. You're the professional - Where should we start?"

Haru starts taking mental inventory of all the things that need to be completed, just by the things he's seen in the short time frame he's been there. "Do you have a pen and paper?"   
  
Makoto stands up and goes to his backpack underneath his desk and retrieves a notebook and his favorite green ballpoint pen. He hands the items to Haru, who takes the position at Makoto's desk as if it were his own. He begins a list, every now and then the pen stopping for the man to glance around the room. Makoto opts to sit back idly on his futon and watch Haru scribble. After some time, Haru lays the pen down and turns to Makoto.

"Show me the restroom and the bathroom." Haru commands, now that the master/servant gig is up.

Makoto leads Haru to the toilet room, then to the bathroom. Upon entering the bathroom, Haru pales. 

"You have this nice bathroom and you dare to not clean it each time before you enter the tub?" He asks incredulously. 

"Eheheheh... well, I said I needed help!" Makoto tucks his chin into chest, shamefully. 

Haru clicks his tongue and orders him again, "Show me the upstairs."

Makoto again leads the way. Haru looks even more displeased upon his arrival to the second story. He climbs back down the ladder without saying anything. Haru heads to the hallway, and opens the pantry under the sink. Then opens the pantries above the washer. 

"Where are all your cleaning supplies?" Haru asks impatiently. 

"Ummm... I don't have any?" 

Haru slaps a palm to his forehead. Makoto rubs his neck again in awkwardness.

Haru opens the fridge and sees the vacancy inside and sighs. 

He takes his place again at Makoto's desk and begins to write furiously. Then he flips the page and begins to fill up the second page. Again, a page flip and another list. This page, he tears out and hands to Makoto. 

"This is what I need to complete the job. I will begin here with what I can do until you come back from your shopping trip." 

Makoto stares at the sheet in his hand. The words are there but he can't seem to understand them. 

"Well?" Haru huffs. 

"O-oh, okay, then I'm leaving." Makoto turns and puts on his shoes and Haru nods approvingly. Makoto pats his back pocket to check for his wallet and his front pocket for his keys. Before exiting he remembers to grab the rolling basket his mom bought for him for large shopping trips such as this. So far he's only used it once, for that one time Nagisa stayed the night and he insisted that they needed almost ¥5000 worth of snacks, plus all of Nagisa’s stuffed animals.

"I'm off!" He says and Haru, playing the part, curtsies and says, "I will be waiting for your return right here, Master."

Makoto's cheeks burn as he races out the door and locks Haru inside, heart thrashing as if he's just locked a giant monster inside, and not a drop dead gorgeous maid. It wasn’t until he was on the train did he realize. "Holy shit," Makoto whispers to himself. "THAT WAS MY FIRST KISS!!!"

He looks around nervously, wondering if his small outburst disturbed anyone. Thankfully there was only a couple joining him in his compartment, and both of them had earphones in, holding hands and in their own world.   
  
He replays the kisses in his mind. The feel of Haru's petite hands snaking their way to his face and the warmth of Haru's thighs surrounding his... Makoto reddens and shakes his head as if to physically rid him of such lewd thoughts. 

"Stay focused Makoto. You have a job to do." He looks down at the list in his hand and begins to read it. The first thing he notices is how crisp Haru's penmanship is and Makoto grins. Some of the items weren't just cleaning supplies. Actually, half of them were cooking ingredients. He reads on, wondering if he will have enough space in his basket to carry all of this home. Perhaps he could take the majority of it home and request the courier to bring the rest later? He’s glad he chose to come to the supermarket in Sendagaya which will have a larger selection than the convenience stores close to his apartment.

He exits the train at his stop and wanders over to the grocery store. He looks down again at the list and sees the first item (bleach) and looks for the cleaning supplies isle. [Upon finding it](http://imgur.com/idYNAoH), Makoto feels the beginnings of a panic attack coming on. Which bleach should he buy? 

He reads all the labels and shifts from foot to foot. This was not a good thing. This proves he is not capable of handling this small task Haru assigned to him, even though he was already helping him out by giving him the list in the first place. 

Time to whip out the big guns. Makoto pulls out his phone and dials, MOM. Her picture lights up his phone, her face friendly and familiar. It rings 3 times before she answers. "Hello? Makoto? What a pleasant surprise!" And she sounds genuinely happy. Makoto can't help but smile into the phone, her joyous tone leaking through the speaker and causing him to feel better already. "Mom, hi!" 

"What's wrong, honey?"

"Can't a son call his mom to see how she's doing?" He says in mock hurt.

"Makoto dear, you've always been a terrible liar. I hear sounds of a cart passing near you, and wasn't that the doorbell of the shop door opening?" 

Makoto whines. "How do you do that?!" 

"I'm your mother. Now, as much as I wish you would just call me to see how I'm doing, what did you call for today?" 

"I uh... I have a... _a friend_ helping me clean my apartment today and I was sent to buy cleaning supplies. But there are about 16 different types of bleach and I don't know which one to buy?!" He thumps his head on the shelf in front of him. 

"Calm down, Makoto. Now tell me, what areas of your apartment are you cleaning? That might help me a little.”

"Ummm, everything?" 

Mrs. Tachibana sighs. This was going to be a long call.

They go through each item on the list and Makoto feels like a small weight is taken of his chest each time he places an item in his basket. 

"What's next?"   
  
"Umm... Mackerel."

"Mackerel?"

"We're cooking after we clean. It's ah... gonna be a long day."

Mrs. Tachibana chuckles. They go through the process of how to select a fresh fish, and then finish with the last of the ingredients. 

"That's the last one!" Makoto sings, as he puts the canned pineapple in his cart. He hears his mom clapping, as if he were 5 years old again and just learned how to tie his own shoes. 

"Thanks mom. I really couldn't have done this without you."

"Nonsense. You could have done this on your own! Maybe not as efficiently, but I did not raise my son to be helpless. I'm proud of you, Makoto. You know when you need help and you ask for it. Some of the smartest people in the world don't know when to hang up their pride and request assistance. They'd rather do everything themselves or die trying."

Makoto feels tears prickling the corners of his eyes. "Mom. Really. Thank you." 

"You're welcome, honey. Now get to cleaning! I better get a call tomorrow with your report of how it all went down."

Makoto laughs and promises, and they say their goodbyes. 

Makoto pays for his supplies and with luck (and some help from the cashier), rearranges all his items so he can take them all on one trip. He's loaded down with 2 bags in his left hand and his right is pulling the cart behind him. The way back home is relatively quiet and Makoto does all that he can to NOT think about what could have happened if he didn’t stop Haru when he did. He ultimately fails, his thoughts straying to the soft plush of Haru's lips and the velvety feel of Haru’s legs. Before he realizes it, he's in front of his apartment and he's wondering if he should knock on his own door.

"This is stupid." Makoto grunts under his breath. He lets go of the basket and fishes out his keys. However, the moment the key enters the keyhole, the door swings open and Haru is there, in all his uniformed glory.

Makoto's grin and laugh comes out nervously. "Hi," he says dumbly. “I’m home.”

The corner of Haru's lips turn up ever so slightly. He curtsies and says, "Welcome home, Master."

Wow. The things he would do to be greeted this way every day.

Haru helps him by taking the bag from his hand and Makoto pulls the basket inside, closing the door behind him. 

Makoto looks around for a second and sees that Haru has already completely cleared off his desk, rearranging his textbooks to line up neatly on the middle shelf next to it. His pens have been collected and placed in a cup, his laptop was charging and sitting on the lowest shelf. The desk itself looked like it had been wiped down. His curtain has been removed, and the window is open, providing ventilation. The pillowcase and sheets of his futon were removed and by the sound of it, were already tumbling around in the washer. He then realizes that the futon he saw beaten and hung up outside was most likely his own.

"Ahh, the room is nicer already! Thank you, Haru-chan!" Makoto beams. 

Haru's eyes narrow, "No -chan. Just Haru." 

"Okay 'Just Haru,'" Makoto giggles as they both empty out the contents of the shopping bags onto the desk. Haru looks over each item, separating the food from the cleaning supplies. When he comes across the mackerel, his eyes shine as he lingers over it.

“You picked all this yourself?” Haru turns and asks, suddenly suspicious.

“Ehhhh?! Of course I did! What did you think I was doing this whole time?” Makoto cries out.

“No one helped you?” Haru’s eyes narrowed.

“…Well, my mom helped me determine what constitutes a fresh fish… but I still picked it myself!” Makoto crosses his arms, a little dejectedly.

A small huff comes from Haru’s nostrils as he continues unpacking. He places all the cold items in Makoto’s hands, silently asking him with a flick of his eyes to place them in the mini fridge. Haru leaves the cleaning supplies on the desk and starts unwrapping the sponges.

Once everything was put away, Makoto joins Haru at the desk and inquires, “Hey, how long do you think this will take?”

Haru tilts his head in thought, and answers, “I estimate the rest of the day.” Makoto’s face falls.  

“It would be faster, cheaper, and more effective to have a maid come and clean twice a month, rather than once every year,” Haru quips as he opens a box of disposable gloves.

“You mean I can set up appointments for bimonthly visits?” Makoto brightens.

Haru nods once and hands Makoto a pair of gloves.

“…Can I request Haru-chan as my maid each time?” Makoto probes bashfully as he dons his hand in protection.

Haru’s eyes catch Makoto’s gaze briefly before Makoto’s flits away, a pink hue dusting his cheeks.

“If that is what Master wishes.”

“Ahhhh, Haru-chan, please. Call me Makoto.” The pink in his cheeks deepening to a scarlet, as if all the blood capillaries in his face ruptured.

“Then _you_ have to drop the –chan,” Haru retorts, his arms akimbo.

“Okay! Okay! Geez…” 

“We need to start,” Haru comments.

“Where?” Makoto looks around futilely.

“The bathroom of course,” Haru shrugs his shoulders, matter-of-factly.

“Ah.”

Haru brings several of the supplies with him, then enters the bathroom. Makoto follows, closing the door behind him.

“Don’t close the door. The chemicals are strong and will become dangerous in a closed in proximity,” Haru warns.

Makoto grimaces and adds a little dramatically, “I could have died if I tried this by myself.”

Haru huffs through his nose again, and Makoto is starting to pick up that this is just Haru’s way of responding to his humor, even if he wasn’t really joking about accidentally killing himself if left alone to his own devises.

“Hey, you said this was going to take all day. Are you really okay with that? I don’t want to take you away from another possible job if that’s what it means for me to keep you here from noon until night,” Makoto says while fiddling with his sponge.

“This is fine,” Haru answers candidly.

“…Really?” Makoto asks doubtfully, but with a hint of acceptance already in his inflection.

“Yes. I was free after your appointment. They don’t schedule you for multiple jobs in a day if you are booked for THE WORKS…” Haru trails off, a little uncomfortable.

“Oh.” Makoto awkwardly shifts his footing, understanding Haru’s implication.

“Well?” Haru turns on his heel and says with a determined look in his eye, as he snaps on his own gloves. “Let’s begin.”

 

*****END CHAPTER 2*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of the maid service is called Maids and More: DH. The DH stands for Delivery health (Deribarii herusu), also known as "shutchō health" or by the abbreviation "deriheru" is a form of prostitution in Japan similar to fashion health, "health" being a term for sexual services. The difference being that the brothel has no premises and is essentially a call girl (or "escort service") with women being dispatched to their customer's homes or to hotels. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delivery_health)
> 
> Some background info I wanted to share, but is not pertinent to the story: In Persona 5, Sadayo Kawakami goes by the name of Becky, a sort of stage name for when she is at her job as a DH maid. When you first meet Sadayo, she is unhappy that the person who requested a maid is actually is her student (the protagonist of P5), but complies anyways because hey, it's money and that is something she desperately needs due to certain circumstances. She starts off the job/relationship by cleaning the protagonist's room. When you progress your relationship with her, you can eventually gain special abilities such as "Super Housekeeping" or "Special Massage" (the abilities are that Kawakami will do your laundry, cook or ...do other things for you).


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They clean. Makoto sings. Haru cooks. Both of them begin to fall in love. ❤️

 

Haru had given detailed instructions, and Makoto listened raptly, adamant that he wouldn't look like a fool (more than he had looked already) trying to perform simple chores. Makoto set to work under Haru's watchful eye, and once he determined he was disinfecting the walls surrounding the tub correctly, he began to assist him so the work was done in twice the time it would have taken alone. When they were done scrubbing the tub and rinsed the area with the hosed shower head, both had beads of sweat running down their temples. Makoto tossed his sponge down and wiped his forehead with his shirt sleeve.

Makoto had a sudden realization and then ran out of the room, removing his gloves as he withdrew. Bewildered, Haru peaked out of the door way to see Makoto hooking up his stereo to his laptop. In a minute, music began to play and Haru raised his eyebrows in a “not bad” sort of appreciation. Makoto set a playlist of alternative rock and adjusted the volume so that it was loud enough for them to enjoy, but not enough to disrupt his neighbors.

Makoto smiled easily as he walked back to the bathroom and reapplied his gloves. “Manual labor always goes by faster and easier with music and a friend! So Haru, what’s next?”

Stunned, Haru blinked and his lips twitched into an almost smile before he pointed his chin towards the toilet room adjacent to them, and made his way to just outside the door.

“There is only room in there for one person. I can clean it, but then you won’t be getting any experience on how to do it yourself,” Haru says off-handedly.

Makoto slumps sadly. “I suppose you’re right. Okay Haru-chan, what do I do?”

“First…” Haru starts.

Makoto picks his head up, wanting to impress upon Haru that he was an attentive listener.

“ _Stop calling me –chan,_ ” Haru stresses, his face stern.

“Sorry, sorry! But just Haru sounds so… What if I call you Haru-kun?” He really likes the name Haruka, but he doesn’t think Haru would take to him calling that either. Makoto wants to do something with his hands, but they are still gloved and he doesn’t want to touch anything just in case grime transfers to his clothes or body.

“Haru. Haru, or I’m going home,” said man declares.

“OKAY! I promise no more –chan,” Makoto says, mollified.

“Good. Now second, go bring the bowl scrubber and the toilet cleaner.”

Makoto does what he is told for the next few minutes while Haru educates him in the best known practices for cleaning toilets. When they finish there, both men exit the bathroom, and Makoto stretches his back after being hunched over for a period of time, trying to reach behind the toilet.

Haru removes his gloves and goes to his list on the desk, and crosses off BATHROOM and TOILET. He nods approvingly and turns to face Makoto, who is also removing his gloves and disposing them.

“Your first load of laundry is done. Let’s hang it,” Haru says while pointing to the washer.  

Makoto pulls the sheets out of the machine and they both head outside to drape them on the line. They enter back into the apartment and Haru teaches Makoto how to separate his clothes (which have been bunched up in a pile by the foot of his futon, usually where he discards his clothes before taking a shower).

“I normally just throw them all together…” Makoto laughs at the now small piles of clothes. Makoto places the second load into the washer and sets the cycle.

“I suppose your mom did all your laundry when you were younger,” Haru says, not accusingly, but rather as a statement.

“Well… yes. I am the first born son. When I was growing up, my mother made sure that I knew that my only job in the world was to just attend school and get good grades. The times I did try to assist her with some of the chores she would shoo me off. I guess that’s why I’m so abysmal at all this household cleaning…” Makoto rubs the back of his neck. “She actually cleaned my apartment the last time she was here visiting. Ran and Ren are much better than me. They do simple things like sweep and clean their rooms; small stuff.”

“Ran…?” Haru looks up at Makoto owlishly.

“Ah! Yes, my siblings. They are twins.” Makoto walks to his shelf and pulls down the silver framed photo of a smiling boy and girl. He grins at the picture brightly, before turning it to face Haru.

Haru stares at the frame and admires how the shape of their faces and eyes are the only thing that can distinguish the fact that they are twins. Their eyes and hair are both different shades from one another. He sees the similarity between their faces structures and Makoto’s. A faint smile appears on Haru’s lips. 

Makoto rotates the picture back towards him and he gazes down at it again. He smiles wistfully and says softly, “I wish I had more time to visit home and see them.” He places the frame back on the shelf and sighs.

“We should continue,” Haru says gently, and Makoto nods silently.

Haru sweeps up all the crumbs on the floor (“You need to stop eating in bed. I’m surprised there aren’t ants crawling all over you each night.”) while Makoto mopped behind him, finishing at the door of the apartment. They exit and leave the door wide open, letting the slight breeze waft in and dry the area.

They take a seat with their legs outstretched on the concrete floor and listen to the music dimly drift from inside. A comfortable silence sits between them until Makoto begins to hum along to the tune and bobs his head in time to the beat. Haru watches him from the corner of his eye, intrigued by Makoto’s ability to stay in key and hit all the notes, even some that are especially high. The melody ends and another takes its place. Makoto rotates his shoulders to face Haru.

“What’s your favorite kind of music?”

Haru ponders a bit, his expression thoughtful. Makoto waits patiently for a response.

“It depends,” he finally answers. “On what type of mood I am in.”

“…So when you are in a happy mood?” Makoto presses.

Another long silence. “I like soft instrumental music. Ambient noise is also good. Natural sounds. Rain falling, night insects chirping…” Haru trails off, his mind far away.

Makoto chuckles. “That’s certainly different… a good different. I guess I really didn’t know what kind of answer to expect.” Makoto begins to whistle in harmony to the current tune playing and Haru studies him wordlessly. When the chorus begins, Makoto switches to singing quietly, and Haru’s eyes widen in surprise and wonder. The song ends and Haru is still staring at Makoto.

“Are you going to school for music?” Haru inquires, genuinely curious.

“What? No!” Makoto laughs at how far the truth is. “I’m going to school for Early Childhood Sport Education!”

Haru lifts an eyebrow incredulously. “What are you going to do with that degree?”

Makoto taps the tips of his shoes together while looking up at the sunny sky. “Ahhh, well, I would love to be a swim coach for children. I volunteered at the local swim club back home, and ever since I thought, this is nice. I would like to continue doing it. When I was younger, I had a fear of the ocean. Well, I sort of still do. But… But I would like to help kids understand that the water isn’t scary. It’s just the monsters that lurk underneath that you need to worry about,” He says with sincerity. He turns and looks at Haru.

“What about you? Are you going to school?” Makoto knows instantly that he did not ask a good question. Haru’s face, which before was enraptured in Makoto’s answer, shuts down and he stands up. Makoto scrambles to right himself and fix whatever it is that made Haru close off.

“The floor should be dry by now,” Haru says while entering, and checks for wet spots. The floor is still damp but Haru takes a towel from the bathroom and gets on his hands and knees to dry the puddles.

Makoto clenches his hands into fists and uncurls them, repeating the gesture until he summons the courage to apologize.

“Haru… I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Haru doesn’t reply and Makoto chews his bottom lip. “What can I do to help?”

Haru stands up and throws the towel at his face, and Makoto barely catches it before it hits him.

“Dry. I will clean the microwave.” Haru grabs another pair of gloves and sponge and sets to work, without a second glance at Makoto.

Makoto worries his lip but decides that the best way to get back in Haru’s good graces is to be obedient. He finishes wiping down the floor and then places the now wet towel in the correct laundry pile to be washed. He stands helplessly for a minute, watching Haru scrub off the residue of numerous reheated take out boxes and exploded cup noodle particles. Eventually Makoto wanders over to his desk and checks off SWEEP LOWER LEVEL, MOP LOWER LEVEL, and SANITIZE MICROWAVE. He peers down the list and sees that WASH WINDOW is next. He pulls aside the window cleaner and a sponge.

“Don’t forget to put a towel beneath the window to catch any drips,” Haru says while his face is still engrossed in cleansing the inside of the microwave.

“Ahhh, that’s smart. Thank you, Haru.” Makoto takes the damp towel he used earlier to set on the floor and starts to work on the glass panes. When he thinks he’s removed all the hand prints and other markings, he sighs and grabs a towel to begin to dry. He’s keeps at the same spot for a minute before he becomes frustrated.

“How do I stop all the towel lint from transferring to the glass?” Makoto asks, unsatisfied.

Haru stops mid-scrub and looks at Makoto. “Normally I would use squeegee. Do you have any old newspaper? You could use that as well.”

“Newspaper?? Really??” Makoto says baffled. He ponders and then shakes his head. “I don’t think I have any though…”

Haru exhales loudly. “Use the towel. Next time you are out shopping, purchase a squeegee. It will come in handy for when you clean the bathroom too.”

Makoto agrees and finishes drying the window and does his best to remove all the little puffs of fabric left over. Haru shuts the microwave door and wipes down the outside of the machine. When he completes this task he gives the appliance a double pat with his hand and a small smile.

“Finished!” Makoto sings while putting the towels back into the dirty clothes pile.

“Same here,” Haru concurs.

“How about a small break?” Makoto smiles and pulls 2 cups from the top cabinet and fills them with water from the sink. He passes one to Haru who takes it gratefully and downs the whole thing before Makoto could even take his first sip. He holds out the cup to Makoto and silently asks for a refill with a flash of his azure eyes back to the sink. Makoto’s face breaks out into a grin and fulfills Haru’s request. He hands it back to Haru who now begins to drink the water with a little more control. Makoto gulps his water quickly and sets the cup down in the sink.

Haru swallows the last of the liquid in his cup and puts it in the sink next to Makoto’s. “The clothes are done. Let’s throw in another load,” Haru suggests. They remove the clothes, hang them outside and then add the pile of towels to the washer.

“So, Haru, I think it’s time to tackle the upstairs…” Makoto lifts his head up, as if he can see through the ceiling to all the dust collected boxes gathered there.

He starts up the ladder to the second floor and Makoto aims to trail right behind him until he realizes that if he does, he would probably get a good glimpse of Haru’s underwear. He blushes from his head to his toes just by the idea. When Haru reaches the top and pops his head out, wondering what is taking Makoto, he laughs nervously and starts up the ladder.

They both survey the area and Haru clicks his tongue. “What a waste of good space.”

Makoto rubs his arm with his right hand. “I kept meaning to get Nagisa to help me with this but we always got distracted each time we had a sleepover.”

Haru’s eyes narrow at the female sounding name and word ‘sleepover.’

Makoto notices the implication and waves his hands in front of him drastically. “No, no, Nagisa's a _boy_! Not that I wouldn’t sleep with a boy!” He slaps his forehead, now even more flustered. “What I mean is, he’s my best friend and he comes over sometimes when we’re not busy. Which is hardly ever since we’re both at different universities and have different agendas…” he finishes lamely.

Haru does his little puff of air “laugh” and shakes his head at Makoto’s embarrassment.

Makoto pulls repeatedly at the collar of his shirt and tries to get some air circulation. “Is it hot up here or is it just me?”

Haru smiles softly. “I think it might be a little of both.”

Makoto flushes. Was that supposed to be a compliment or did Haru really mean that Makoto looks physically hot because of his discomfiture? He can’t tell so he just does his nervous chuckle again.

“How about I take this side and you take the right?” Haru gestures with his hands to indicate the spaces they should be working on.

“Oh. Sure, whatever you think is best.” Makoto shrugs his shoulders in a non-committal sort of way.

They begin opening packages and after a minute it's apparent that Makoto doesn’t know what to do with the contents of the boxes.

“Uhhhh… I don’t think I thought this through…” Makoto says while pulling out sweaters.

Haru glances over and says, “You didn’t even mark any of these. How are we supposed to know what is in them?” He opens another box and finds Makoto’s summer tank tops.

“Hey! I was wondering where those were…”

Haru stands up and goes back down the ladder. Makoto leans over the edge and observes Haru grabbing the sticky notepads, tape, and a marker from the shelf next to his desk. His heart leaps happily, because for a second, he feared that Haru had thrown in the metaphorical towel and was ready to abandon him and his cluttered box chaos.

He climbs back up and hands them to Makoto. “Here. Label them. And don’t just put ‘winter clothes.’ Write ‘sweaters’ and ‘scarves.’ Use details.”

Makoto takes the items and nods vigorously. They set back to work and a few boxes in, Haru stills. Haru stares for so long that Makoto notices the lack of movement from Haru’s direction. He looks over his shoulder and then comes over to see what Haru is absorbed in. It’s been a year and a half since he looked in these boxes. Did he forget about something embarrassing he should have been hiding? Makoto internally freaks out until he spots the black rectangle in Haru’s hands.

“Oh wow! My WiiU!” Makoto chuckles and riffles through the box of games, and the adjacent box of controllers. “I miss playing Smash Brothers with Nagisa and Rei… Heh, I bet I could still kick Sousuke’s ass! I need to text him to come over!” Makoto remembers packing up his system, thinking that he would be able to spend some of his down time playing some Mario Kart or Zelda. How very wrong he was to even think that he would have any spare intervals that wouldn’t be filled with work and school.  

Haru handles the games as if they each were worth a gold bar. His hands stop at 2 blue boxes with cute characters on the cover. “What’s this one about?” Haru shows Makoto the first box.

“Oh come on. You’ve never played Animal Crossing?” Makoto laughs then realizes that Haru is completely serious when he looks away reservedly. He stops laughing immediately continues, “Animal Crossing is about a villager who is new in town and becomes the mayor. You play the villager and can explore and talk to all your neighbors and make the town a better place! It’s really fun. Actually, it was Ren’s favorite game. I could hardly pull him away from it!”

Haru shows him the next box with a little shine in his eyes, “…and this one?”

“Ahhhh, Kirby! Yes, this is a good one too. Kirby is this cute pink puff ball. He eats everything! He sucks up his enemies and when he swallows them he absorbs their power!”

Haru looks at both boxes and smiles brightly and Makoto is suddenly breathless, because Haru’s toothy smile is blinding. His mouth becomes dry as a desert and he’s positive his heart has stopped.  

Makoto takes the two boxes from Haru and gathers all the other items into their respective boxes and balances them precariously as he heads down the ladder, all the while Haru is watching. He calls up to Haru, “Get down here, will you?”

Haru climbs down and spectates Makoto hooking up all the wires to their respective plugs and boots in the video game. The screen turns on and Makoto sighs when the series of prompts tells him he’s in need of a system update.

“Ugh. This is one thing I don’t miss,” Makoto whines as he watches the progress bar slowly fill. “This actually might take a while, perhaps we should get back to cleaning until it finishes…” He’s interrupted with a loud growl coming from his stomach.

Haru laughs, he _actually laughs_ , if albeit quietly before its stifled with his hand, and Makoto once again feels like someone threw a barrel right into his gut. This beautiful creature laughed at him, even if it was just at his own intestines rumbling.

“I think it’s time for dinner,” Haru announces and starts to clear off Makoto’s desk. Makoto is still gaping at Haru when he asks him to help him. Makoto shakes his head to clear away the imaginary hearts floating above him and nods. All the cleaning supplies are moved to under the sink and in the pantries, and then he washes his hands. Haru finishes wiping down the desk again and then turns to the fridge and begins to pull out the vegetables and fish. He sets them down on the desk and returns to the kitchenette to find Makoto’s skillet, pot, rice cooker, cutting board and utensils. Makoto stands around and watches, feeling useless.

“Prepare the rice,” Haru instructs and Makoto revitalizes now that he has been given a task that he can perform without needing aid. Makoto removes the rice from his pantry and measures it out into another small pot he has, and begins to rinse the grains. Once he finishes and sets the timer on the rice cooker, he looks to Haru, who is very carefully, but swiftly and precisely filleting the mackerel. Makoto stares, entranced.

Haru must feel Makoto’s eyes on him, because his hands stop, and his eyes shift to look into Makoto’s. Makoto smiles. “Haru, you’re very skilled. Watching you work is amazing!”

Haru doesn’t say anything at first, but a tinge of pink blossoms on his cheeks before he continues his task.

“If you have time to gawk you have time to dice the vegetables,” Haru concludes.

Makoto shakes his head sadly. “I would, but honestly Haru, you don’t want me to. I’m dreadful at cooking and everything related. I’ve basically lived off of take out and cup noodles since I’ve started living on my own. I’ll occasionally make rice but that’s the extent of my culinary prowess.”

Haru finishes deboning the filets and without skipping a beat says, “I could tell by the inside of your microwave.”

Makoto whines and covers his face, “I’m hopeless, just say it!”

Haru’s lips curve up into a small teasing smile. “You’re hopeless.”

“You’re not supposed to agree with me!” Makoto cries out.

“But you just said to say it,” Haru pokes further.

“UWAHHH!” Makoto wails and dramatically throws himself on his desk chair, which has been moved to the left of the desk where his futon belongs to create standing room.  

“It just takes practice.” Haru discards the trimmings and bones and then washes his hands.

Makoto spins himself in the chair dejectedly. “But I don’t have a teacher to help me practice. I’ve tried watching YouTube videos and all that gets me is burned and bandaged fingertips.”

“Why don’t you take a course in culinary arts? Just a basic introductory class,” Haru reasons as he begins to chop the vegetables himself.

Makoto discontinues his spinning and lights up. “I… I never thought of that. I guess I always just thought it was better to give up anyways, since I hardly have time to cook. My school has several sports nutrition class that could at least give me some elementary abilities…” Makoto gets up and rummages in his backpack to write down the idea before it escapes him forever.

Haru sets the knife down after he completes the dicing and begins to sauté the veggies on the skillet. He reaches into the pantry and pulls out the spice rack. He pauses at the cute note and snorts, then grabs the seasonings he needs to enhance his dish.

“How much longer will dinner take?” Makoto strides to the kitchen and hovers over Haru’s shoulder. “It smells delicious!” He inhales the aroma now wafting about his apartment.

Haru gives an annoyed look at Makoto for invading his space. “Maybe 15 or 20 minutes? Your stove doesn’t heat as well as it should.”

“Ah, yes, I’ve been meaning to have a word with the landlord about that. But I never have much reason to complain since I hardly turn it on…”  Makoto says sheepishly. “I’ll just label some more things upstairs while I wait then.” He makes his way to the second floor landing and begins to sing to himself as one of his particularly favorite songs starts up.

After some time, he hears Haru’s voice call up to him. “Makoto… Dinner is ready.”

Makoto closes a box of more summer clothing and heads downstairs. The moment his feet touch the floor his stomach growls again, most likely because of the close proximity of the enchanting odor. He looks at the desk which has 2 plates of the rice he made, and a combination of the veggies and mackerel that Haru expertly grilled. Upon closer inspection, he notices that the ringed pineapple that he purchased made its way to being the topping of the filets.

“Wow, this is… different… but it smells incredible Haru! Thank you!” Makoto beams.

Haru, who was washing his hands again, finishes and stands next to Makoto.

“I’m glad you are happy with my services,” Haru curtsies.

Makoto clutches his chest. It seems that Haru’s cuteness is too much for his heart to handle.

“So uh… I only have one chair. Usually Nagisa and I just eat…”

“On your bed,” Haru finishes.

Makoto laughs. “Yes. So, perhaps we just sit on the floor together?”

Haru shrugs and picks up his dish. He parks himself next to Makoto who has done the same and has sat on the edge of the pedestalled area where his futon belongs.

“Itadakimasu!” Makoto smiles as he digs in to his pineapple adorned mackerel. Haru doesn’t quite start eating but waits a little until Makoto has swallowed his first bite.

“Oh Haru, this is certainly interesting. Where did you learn to make this?” Makoto takes another bite of his fish and closes his eyes to fully savor the taste.

“I taught myself.” Haru says with what appears to be nonchalance, but the slight turn of his head away seems to say otherwise.

“You’re so amazing, Haru! You’re so talented… I wish I had your gifts!” Makoto says around another mouthful of veggies.

“It’s nothing.” Haru finally takes his first bite of mackerel and sighs in delight.

Makoto cleans his plate and asks if there is more in the pan. Haru nods and Makoto helps himself to more of everything. He finishes once more and leaves his plate in the sink, then joins Haru.

“Do you want me to serve you some more too, Haru?”

Startled, Haru shakes his head no. “That’s alright. I made this for you. The leftovers you can have tomorrow.”

Makoto furrows his eyebrows, “Are you sure? You seemed to really enjoy the fish. I can always get something else to eat tomorrow.”

Haru worries his lip and that’s enough indication for Makoto to whisk away Haru’s plate, despite the indignant “Oi!” and serves him the remaining food. He hands him the plate with a tilt of his head and a charming grin.

“Here, Haru-chan, please enjoy!”

Haru purses his lips and looks from Makoto’s shining face to the platter. He takes the plate graciously and says in a small voice, “Thank you.”

“While you eat, I'll start the game up!” Makoto’s expression lights up excitedly as he scurries to turn off the music emanating from his laptop and then retrieve the controllers. He popped in the Kirby’s Epic Yarn disk and plops himself down next to Haru. He chooses File 1 and deletes the 100% completion on it so that it starts fresh at 0%.

“You can watch me play single player, but there is a two-player mode we can both play when you’re done!” Makoto says enthusiastically. He starts the game and they both watch the opening cut scene. Haru becomes wide-eyed as the story unfolds and Makoto is enamored with Haru’s reactions to Kirby’s yarn lassoing.

After Haru finished his plate, he sets it aside and continues to watch Makoto play.

“Do you wanna give it a go?” Makoto offers him the controller. Haru looks skeptically at the proposal, then eventually shrugs his shoulders. Haru takes the controller and Makoto teaches him what the combination of buttons do. Haru is a quick learner and soon he is zipping along to the next stages, mesmerized by the pastel colors and cute enemies chasing after him. All the while, Makoto is warning him about upcoming mini boss battles, showing him new tactics, and cheering when Haru overcomes a particularly difficult area.

After quite some time, Makoto’s phone buzzes, startling them both. Makoto pulls his cell out of his pocket as he curses himself for leaving his 8:00 p.m. “Don’t forget to eat” alarm on. He silences it and then turns to Haru, who has already paused the game and is handing him back the controller guiltily.

Makoto sighs and receives the controller back, saving Haru’s progress and then shutting down the game system.

“It’s later than I thought it would be.” Haru says, glaring out the darkened window.

“Yeah… Do you need to go? I don’t want to hold you up...” Makoto asks forlornly while pulling at a loose thread at the base of his shirt. Haru stands and retrieves his plate to take back to the kitchenette.

“I suppose it’s time to clean the dishes,” Haru answers in response as he places a new set of gloves on.  

Makoto’s heart flutters as he stands to take his place next to Haru. He’s glad that Haru has decided to stay. His bright smile turns into a frown as he looks at the dirty dishes piled in the sink.

“I wash, you dry?” Haru questions, peering up at him.

Makoto nods and grabs a fresh dish towel. “Ready! Oh - wait, let me turn the music back on.” He heads back to his laptop and turns on a music station named “Soothing Sounds.” The first “song” that begins to play is one of soft rain falling.

He turns back to Haru, looking for approval. Haru stills at Makoto’s consideration to play his favorite “happy” music. A gentle smile graces his lips and Makoto’s heart catches in his throat. He wants to bottle this sensation, and save it for a time when he is feeling stressed from school and work to ease his worries. He sears Haru’s cute flush into his memory and then once again takes his place. They start their task, the sound of dishes clinking adding to the pitter patters of rain. Thunder rolls in the background, like it's miles away from them, the rain slowly decreasing in volume. The thunder becomes more prominent, a loud crack echoing in the small apartment, enough to make Makoto jump and almost drop the pan he was drying.

Haru notices Makoto’s unease and gives a small chuckle. “Are you afraid of the thunder?”

Makoto gives his famous anxious laugh. “What? No. Of course not.” He runs the towel across the pan over and over in his hands and another loud crack startles a small squeak from him.

Haru turns off the water and flicks the drops off his hands, now facing Makoto. “You are.”

Makoto blushes in embarrassment, placing the pan in the cabinet where it belongs. “I don’t mind the thunder. It's alright when it’s in the distance…. But when it sounds like its right above me… and I feel my entire apartment shake…” He shudders as the song gives a final loud boom before it switches to the next track, consisting of light morning birdsong.

“Ahhhh, this is much better.” Makoto smiles and whistles, imitating some of the bird calls. “One time when I was little, a bird made a nest near my bedroom window. It sang every morning at 5 a.m. and I would cover my head with my pillow, willing it to let me sleep a little longer. He would still be there in the evenings when I came home from the swim club, quietly cooing. One day I whistled and he whistled back!” Makoto laughs airily. “It was like we were having a conversation.”

Makoto’s smile turned bittersweet and his eyes turned downcast as he leaned his back against the counter.  “Some time later I remember waking up, not because of the birdsong, but because of the lack of it. And I didn’t hear any more cheeping at night. I suppose he moved on… I hope he found a nice lady bird to settle down with.”

“Or a nice male bird,” Haru said faintly as he locked eyes with Makoto’s emerald gaze.

 “Y-yeah,” Makoto affirmed, as Haru gave a chaste smile and they both resumed their task.

***** END CHAPTER 3 *****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait my friends! School started, midterms happened, and here we are. I hope I can come out with the next chapter soon but if I don't, please bear with me! :)  
> 
> *I always have various alarms set on my phone when I’m focused on something so that I remember to do basic things. Sometimes I will work through lunch, and so to prevent myself from doing this, I set alarms. I like to think that Makoto would get so caught up in studying that he would forget to take breaks.
> 
> Also, people not knowing how to clean is really a thing. My job requires us to clean our offices every year (we have housekeepers who normally clean for us, but during the summer they are busy doing another task so we take it upon ourselves to do it) and this girl who I worked with, had no idea what she was doing. She was 23 when she started and we had to guide her every step of the way when cleaning. I would also like to think that Mama Tachibana was one of those mom's that tried to do all she could for her children, so she would clean and cook while her children studied and played.

**Author's Note:**

> Soooooooo? What did you think? I hope you liked it! If you didn't, that's cool too. Maybe leave a comment about what needs to be improved? I suddenly became very committed to this story so I hope to have another chapter up next week (but don't quote me on that because the first day of school is coming really soon). Either way, I promise I won't leave you hanging too long. Let me know if for some reason any of the links in the text doesn't work. Until next time!


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